Mariachi is having a moment

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán will perform at Municipal Auditorium in 2010.

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Sebastien De La Cruz, 9, who placed first in the elementary vocal competition of the recent Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza, had advanced to the second round of competition on "America's Got Talent Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sacultura/conexion/article/2-area-kids-land-Talent-invitations-2471041.php#ixzz1wSxAkZ8e

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Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza

The 18th annual mariachi celebration begins today and concludes Saturday with a grand finale concert. A handful of events are open to the public and listed below.

Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza producer Cynthia Muñoz probably wouldn't say she's bringing sexy back to her long-running festival, but she does acknowledge that it has been a very good year for mariachi.

That bodes well for the 18th annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza, which opens today with its reverent Mariachi Mass at Mission San José.

The Mexican music tradition received plenty of prime-time love this year when homegrown mariachi Sebastien De La Cruz managed to withstand Howard Stern's withering glare on NBC's “America's Got Talent.”

Quite a coup for big-voiced 10-year-old known as El Charro de Oro.

Muñoz's festival — a weeklong celebration of mariachi music with showcase performances, workshops, student competitions and a grand finale concert — is built on the message that the music is to be honored and preserved and nurtured.

That it's also taking baby steps into the mainstream means that her event continues to expand beyond its Hispanic base.

Muñoz is quick to point out that a recent PBS documentary, “Mariachi High,” shined the spotlight on mariachi students in Zapata; that NBC's “The Voice” featured mariachi Julio Cesar Castillo; that the rock band Train incorporated mariachi into one of its pop hits; and that even fashion designer Michael Kors dressed as a mariachi this Halloween.

The feature film “Hotel Transylvania” showed vampires weren't immune.

“This has been a phenomenal year. It tells me we're certainly expanding our audience way beyond the traditional, die-hard mariachi music lover and outside the scope of the Hispanic market,” she said.

While Muñoz would rather talk about Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán celebrating its 115th anniversary (her love of mariachi is genuine and runneth over), she's savvy enough to know that this year's host, Steven Michael Quezada, brings lots of “Breaking Bad” panache, too. He plays DEA agent Steve Gomez in the award-winning AMC series.

The Latino actor and comedian, who grew up in New Mexico, acknowledged that he's not bilingual but has come to love the music — which may be the point.

The benefits cut both ways.

When George Strait played for 55,000 fans at the Alamodome in 2010, the country music superstar featured female mariachis in the breaks and on the song “El Rey.” This fall, the legendary Tony Bennett released “Viva Duets,” pairing with Latino singers and including some Spanish numbers.

Juan Tejeda, co-founder and producer of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center's Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio, says that such pop culture moments (he includes Linda Ronstadt's bestselling “Canciones de mi Padre” albums) “are important not only for the larger society but also for the culture represented.”

He called De La Cruz's television appearance, fluffy as it might seem to some, as a significant moment in history

“Impressions are going to change,” Tejeda said. “Millions saw it and he was breaking down barriers. It's a source of pride.”

That dovetails with the generally positive view of traditional Mexican music these days, he added.

“The negative image was that it was ‘low-class' music,” Tejeda added. “For the last 35 years, mariachi has been becoming respectable music.”

Terry Lowry, executive director for the nonprofit Network for Young Artists, agrees that the media attention is a blessing. He pointed out that De La Cruz was one of his students.

“I think any time you get on TV, especially with a national audience like ‘America's Got Talent' or the ‘The Voice' or any of those and you're singing mariachi, it brings attention of a different cultural style to mainstream America,” Lowry said.

“I think mainstream America doesn't know too much about mariachi music outside of Texas, California and some of the Tejano states like Illinois and Ohio. People that hear this in New York City say, ‘What is this?' I think it's done a positive thing.”

Quezada says mariachi music wasn't much of a presence in his life growing up. He was more of a rock 'n' roller.

“I fell in love with mariachi music when I was a little older,” he said.

It's to that end, and the higher purpose of helping young musicians connect with their musical heritage and to assist with their musical education and goals, that he's involved with the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza.

Quezada described it as “life changing.”

“It's culture. It's hanging on to Mexican culture, which is hard to do without music,” he said. “I think music is the way for us to connect with our culture and heritage.”

“Teenage kids have a big issue with confidence, and they have a big issue with ‘Do I matter?' ‘Does my story matter?' It's up to us with these kids (to) give them the confidence that they need. That carries to all kinds of things in your life.”

He understands that there are political implications, too. And that there are those who oppose, fear or question multiculturalism — and the growing Latino demographic.

He embraces it.

“People like Cynthia Muñoz and myself, we know better than that,” said Quezada, who will get to show off his comedy chops as host of Saturday's big Mariachi Vargas concert. “We know that we have to be Americans and that we have to help the people around us. The cool thing is that we love what we do, so we get to enjoy every minute of it.

“Mariachi music is newfound culture that I had lost somewhere. I'm not even bilingual. I struggle to understand the music still, at my age. But that doesn't stop me from loving it. It doesn't stop me from taking pride in it.”